The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Hotel Review with Photos (September 2023)
In the heart of summertime, the St. Regis Abu Dhabi offers a traditionally luxurious experience in UAE’s buttoned-up capital city.
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review with Photos (September 2023)
View from the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Highs: Butler service that is actually useful. Complimentary access to the posh Nation Riviera Beach Club. Highly curated interior design.
Lows: The library bar was an uncomfortable mix between a hallway and a sitting room. Missed communication on certain aspects of the stay.
Verdict: In a region where dizzying levels of luxury are practically expected, the St. Regis Abu Dhabi still manages to go a step beyond.
The Room to Get: King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Stay: Context
After a week of working in Dubai and visiting a friend in Fujairah, we elected to take the American holiday of Labor Day in Abu Dhabi. In a country where luxury hospitality is an art, competition in luxury hotels is fierce. But my travel companion, a St. Regis brand loyalist and advanced Marriott BONVOY status-holder was eager to visit this particular St. Regis location as well as show me why he was so fond of the brand. I was eager to get a break from hectic and narrow Dubai, so it was the perfect match.
Good to Know
There are two St. Regis hotels in Abu Dhabi, the St. Regis Abu Dhabi and the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. This review is for the St. Regis Abu Dhabi.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Hotel Location and Architecture
St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is located in the soaring Nations Towers complex at the Abu Dhabi corniche, the five-mile-long scenic waterfront that is an attraction in itself. The work of WZMH Architects, Nation Towers opened in 2012 and is composed of two towers— 52- and 64-stories each— joined by the world’s highest interconnecting bridge. At the base of the towers is the luxe Nation Towers Mall with a wide variety of offerings including a Lamborghini store and spa services. Nation Towers is relatively self-contained. Given this stay was more of a holiday than work trip, we didn’t stray from the Nation Towers campus.
Across its two-hundred islands, the Abu Dhabi is home to plenty of destinations such as Ferrari World, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and, of course, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital. A highly planned city, Abu Dhabi is comprised of low-density, height-restricted neighborhoods to offer a more classically Arab feel along with towering skyscrapers in the business and government districts to imbue a more cosmopolitan competence.
Abu Dhabi is home to many of the UAE’s governing bodies (including the Presidential Place), countless international embassies, as well as world-ranking hospitals and international schools. As the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi has a certain maturity and confidence that Dubai lacks— a buttoned up professionalism enjoined by copious amounts of grace. If Dubai is the energetic, scatter-brained brother, then Abu Dhabi is the genteel and focused older sister.
is abu dhabi a country?
No. The country is United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi is the capital city. The United Arab Emirates is composed of the following emirates, or states: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi is ideal for business travelers, those working with the UAE government, or those looking to have a discreet home base while touring the city. That said, it’s not located in the most lively or walkable part of Abu Dhabi. Within walking distance of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi is the entirety of the Corniche (technically) as well as the Federal National Council (FNC) and associated government buildings, but not much else.
Abu Dhabi is a sprawling city with many districts, so a car and driver is very helpful. A 3-minute trip by car offers access to the Qasr Al Watan (Presidential Palace) and Marina Mall. A 15-minute ride by car offers access to downtown Abu Dhabi. The concentration of embassies and consulates are about a 20-minute drive away.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Hotel Arrival and Public Areas
Arrival at St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
St. Regis Abu Dhabi has a very discreet point of entry, somewhat tucked behind the towers and not visible from the Corniche. A porte-cochère lurks in the shadows (a fortunate feature in the sun of Abu Dhabi) with an elegant fountain blocking even more view from curious eyes.
A team of porters descended upon the car as we went into the lobby to check in. As is traditional in the region, we were offered some qahwa and a fresh date, served by a formally-dressed staffer before being escorted across the lobby to a wood-paneled reception room. Here we were seated and conducted our check-in.
Lobby of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The lobby is a spectacular affair, traditionally opulent but thoughtfully arranged and welcoming. With interiors by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), exquisite details abound, from the series of tremendous Moorish chandeliers plunging from the ceiling to fluted moldings and gilt-tinged flooring underfoot. Two sculptural staircases frame a monumental tapestry as gold-sheened columns shoot up to the mezzanine level. Amid the sofas and chairs, a pianist offered some sound for the afternoon.
In evolved Arab culture, the luxury hotel has become a meeting place and place of socializing for both locals and visitors alike; a point of regional pride and pleasure. Simultaneously, these places are intended to be a culturally-neutral environment: its not unusual to encounter international businesspeople shouldering groups of Emiratis enjoying a tea and cigarette, while a newly married couple enjoys a kiss not far away.
SmokING Indoors IN THE UAE
Westerners (Americans, especially) who expect smoke-free public spaces may be surprised to find smoking indoors is permissible and common in the Arab world. The St. Regis isn’t exempt from this cultural norm. While the hotel doesn’t smell like an ashtray, those with sensitivities to smoke should inform their butler to ensure they have a non-smoking room and are placed away from smoking guests in public areas.
Check-in was very efficient. St. Regis regulars will be recognized and any requests are accommodated. Eventually we’d encounter our butler, a young Zimbabwean woman who escorted us to the room via elevator. The overall experience of checking into the St. Regis is not entirely different than any other hotel, but the sense of familiarity and unexpected ease does strike you. The overall tone of the experience is understated and accommodating, rather than affronting, public and transactional. There is no lining up to wait for check-in, nor is there any expedited experience for status-holding customers, typical of high-volume business hotels. Everyone is given their due amount of attention.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite
St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Our room was a King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite perched on the 37th floor of the building. Originally booked into a standard guest room, we were upgraded thanks to my travel companion’s status in the Marriott BONVOY loyalty program. The St. Regis offers a number of packaged add-ons for your stay, depending on your needs and interests. For this stay, the team adorned the space with some amusing balloons, a bottle of prosecco, and a slice of cake as part of an apparently romance-themed package.
Hallway and Foyer in the St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
With a floorspace of approximately 65 square meters or 699 square feet, the King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite is a densely-packed bundle of luxury.
Good to know
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi has a huge range of room types and sizes. Rooms start at 484 square feet for a Superior Guest Room but then balloon to over 12,000 square feet for the Abu Dhabi Suite which is curiously suspended between two towers. All accommodations enjoy St. Regis’ signature butler and concierge services.
The room is arranged along a hallway, with the bedroom and living rooms divided by a partition.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The views reach out in all directions and the room was bright. The overall tone of the room’s design— from the ceiling treatments and careful lighting to the the overflowing wedding dress curtains and leafy plants— felt ever so slightly postmodern in its luxury: a familiar sumptuousness and stuffed character usually reserved for charming legacy properties in The Principalities, the South of France, or maybe the coastal United States.
Live plants in the suite at St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
I was extremely charmed to find a live plant in the room (in good health, no less!). It sent a strong message of how lived-in the St. Regis can feel, in the best way possible. I almost felt as if I were staying in my rich auntie’s penthouse apartment in Florida, not a hotel room in Abu Dhabi.
Chandelier in a suite at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
If you’re looking for a room rich in Arabian design cues, this may be a miss for you. The St. Regis mostly pays homage to its American roots with an overall interior design that has a strong Art Deco infusion.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The room is somewhat occupied by a structural column for the building, but it didn’t ruin any views or change the value of the space.
Bedroom in St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The king-sized bed is dressed in 100% cotton sateen, four-hundred thread count linens in crisp white by Frette. St. Regis features Simmons brand mattresses and the hotel uses a modified BeautyRest Black mattress. It offered a plush rest, but you’re not drowning in mattress. Guests can browse a pillow menu for their cranial comfort, but we found the standard offering suitable and plentiful with five pillows on the bed. Turndown service was conducted while we enjoyed dinner, and involved preparing the bed, a reset of the lighting, and a drawing of the curtains.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Bedroom. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Bedroom. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The bedside at turndown was laden with things including a new bottle of water, a notepad (ostensibly for writing down dreams), a phone, as well as a breakfast menu and remote control for the television. A control panel at the bedside allowed to toggling of all the lights in the room as well as adjustment of the motorized sheers and curtains. The drapes are very good at keeping light out, ensuring the potential for deep rest late into the day.
Bedroom in St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
I came to covet the beautiful wooden refreshment hub which contained a stocked cooler and coffee service, among other branded items. Of course, given this is a St. Regis, access to fresh coffee and tea service is available at all times along with in-room dining with a call to the butler.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Here, the service features water bottles, a Nespresso machine with a selection of espressos, a variety of high-quality tea sachets provided by Tchaba, and a uniquely diverse mix of barware. The variety of barware, like the live plant, served as a small detail that added a lot to the curated quality of the overall room— design choices that felt intentional and personal. The coffee and tea cups come from Churchill and glassware is Spiegelau. The electric kettle is powered at all times, so preparing tea is a matter of pouring water over the sachet. St. Regis will brand absolutely anything, especially when it comes to snacks in the room. I was charmed by the Hand Cooked Chips and the package of “Little Luxuries”. The minibar is stocked and billed at checkout if you take anything.
Near this refreshment hub was a desk which was stocked with reading material, menus, a phone, stationery, and a note about window cleaning.
In the entry hall, sets of wooden French doors reveal clothing closets with hangers and a luggage rack. Along with an ironing board. The butler staff at St. Regis can do a lot with clothing. Included in the stay is the option for full laundry services, but complimentary pressing of several shirts as well as complimentary shoe polishing, which we took advantage of during the stay. The shoes were returned before the requested time.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Closet. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
In terms of audio, visual, and connectivity capabilities, The room offers plenty of outlets around the room (primarily of the universal type), including intentionally positioned USB and three-prong connections at the bedsides. WiFi is available for free, and the base offering is plenty fast enough for video calls and streaming. A/C capabilities include two modern smart TVs in the room plus integrated a composite video connection, a left/right audio channel connection, PC/audio connections, HDMI, USB-A connection, plus Bluetooth.
View from St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite
Positioned on a choice corner facing the long end of the Corniche and the city beyond, Abu Dhabi felt as if it was unraveling at our feet thanks to walls of floor-to-ceiling windows along two exposures. Looking north gave views of downtown Abu Dhabi.
View from St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Looking west offered views of the Nation Riviera Beach Club, the Gulf waters below, and the uniquely arched Rixos Marina Abu Dhabi hotel on Al Kasir Island just beyond.
Sunset from St. Regis Abu Dhabi King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Nighttime offered a clear glimpse through to downtown Abu Dhabi, as day views are sometimes obscured by sandy air. High humidity in the late summer months can add to the haze.
Night view from a corner room at St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Bathroom
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Bathroom. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The bathroom in the King Bed Sea View Grand Deluxe Suite is a concern of superlatives. An exceedingly relaxing affair, the bathroom had the design and essence of a Roman Laconicum with it tile flooring and marble walls and dual vanities. The bathroom felt hygienic and intentionally oriented toward refreshment and relaxation. As requested, a bath had be drawn with rose petals and towels prepared for use.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Bathroom at Night. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The bathtub is framed against a wall of windows offering a view of the gulf. With electronically-controlled curtains, privacy can be had quickly, but the view was too tantalizing.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Bathroom. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The shower, toilet and bidet take their place at either side of the room with doors offering privacy. Inside the lavatory, air is freshened by a diffuser, another minor yet elegant touch.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Shower. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The shower is a proper room with a seat and rain shower along with full-sized care items.
Across the bathroom, amenities were a wide curation, including haircare products from SACHAJUAN (which feature extracts from the Rhodophycea and Chondrus algae) and REN sustainable facial scrubs and hand soaps.
Beyond this, every small beauty and body accessory you could imagine was on hand, from shaving kits to toothbrushes, shoe horns to sewing kits. Good quality towels in a variety of sizes were plentiful.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Suite Bathroom. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
St. Regis Staff and Service
We can’t really discuss the St. Regis brand without mentioning the butler service that comes with each stay ever since 1904. Having not stayed at a St. Regis before, I, too, didn’t know what to expect from the butler service. But St. Regis promises the butler service is a truly differentiating offering, taking some additional stress out of typical hotel stays. From unpacking luggage to pressing clothes to making dinner reservations, butlers are very helpful. They are more of a manager than a task-runner, making arrangements on the guest’s behalf.
a deeper look
The butler met us later in the room to show us a few details. I didn’t expect this experience to be so comfortable. I was afraid I’d be bossing around a stranger, but I ended up feeling like I was chatting with a friend. We were keen on stopping by the iconic St. Regis sabering ceremony, which we had arrived in time for. She went to make sure there was space to join. Unfortunately, we were alerted at this point that a dress code must be followed to attend the Champagne toast. We weren’t made aware of this fact until this very moment, and we couldn’t accommodate the request for a dress code due to a limited range of clothes. Further spaces that called for a dress code included a specific bar on site. While we’d normally have no issue with attending to dress codes, we wish we knew the dress code requirements in advance. The butler sensed the consternation and made some arrangements to allow us to attend the toast despite the wardrobe problem. As for the bar, we were sequestered to a less comfortable library-like space but still enjoyed a drink. Through all of this I could appreciate the compromise and effort the butler made to support us.
Crystal Lounge at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Beyond this, the butler was not a disruption. She escorted us to the toast and made a reservation at the on-site Italian restaurant as well as turned the room down for bedtime.
GOOD TO KNOW
Elevated status within the Marriott BONVOY loyalty program offers plenty of perks, including 75% points bonus, 4pm late checkout, and more. Learn more about Marriott BONVOY loyalty program here.
In addition to butler services, guests of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi can enjoy access to a vast gym and a spa offering bespoke massages and a program of beauty and health treatments.
On site, there is also a business center, ballrooms, and conference rooms. The business center offers computers as well as access to a printer, but the staff can also print things for you or dispatch mail as needed. I made two postcards and prepared them to be sent, but my recipients report not receiving the mail over a month later.
Business Center and Library at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The business center was very beautiful and quiet, positioned just off the Crystal Lounge. I was able to have any drink or food served here and decided to take some tea to help relax as I got through some emails and calls.
I had the space to myself. I appreciated that the business center was accessible by keycard only. The staff checked on me periodically to see if I needed any assistance.
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Dining and Drinks
The Terrace on the Corniche. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
While in-room dining comes expected, the St. Regis Abu Dhabi has a number of on-site dining and drink options. For breakfast, we enjoyed a startlingly vast buffet at the day-to-night concept The Terrace on the Corniche. An elegant and large dining room, the variety of food stole the show, with regional and global dishes on offer ranging from South Indian Upma and German Muesli to Sweet and Sour Tofu and chocolate cake.
For dinner, we enjoyed an intimate meal at the elegant Villa Toscana, an Italian concept situated on the mezzanine level of the lobby. A smaller restaurant, the food was incredibly fresh and the menu contained a wide range of classically Italian dishes.
Wine cellar at Villa Toscana, Abu Dhabi. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
The star of this venue is the stunning wine cellar featuring over 60 Italian wines. Indeed this is a special treasure for the region. Later, we took a few drinks in the St. Regis Bar, but this was not the most special atmosphere.
A combination of a library and an Arabian majlis, the room felt like a foyer rather than a lounge and oddly featured a few racks of clothing. It had full view to the main lobby, eliminating a sense of intimacy. That said, the service was very good, with an exceedingly friendly bartender offering thoughtful cocktail suggestions.
Overall, it was the Crystal Lounge and Villa Toscana which became the highlights of the dining options at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. From the friendly bartenders to the informative and elegant sabering evening, it was the ideal central point to relax through the stay.
Nation Riviera Beach Club Access for St. Regis Abu Dhabi Guests
Thanks to our 4:00pm check-out, we had the opportunity to indulge in the world-class Nation Riviera Beach Club, situated on the sandy coast of the gulf waters. This unique arrangement grants St. Regis Abu Dhabi guests carte blanche access to this exclusive beach club, which features a beach with serviced cabanas, water toys, adult-only pools, a variety of restaurants, complete sauna and steam rooms, as well as facilities for children.
Sited across the busy Corniche Road, access to the beach club is provided by an underground tunnel from the hotel. The atmosphere was really relaxing and transformed the St. Regis from being a somewhat conservative business hotel to a true resort-like experience.
The design of this beach club, dominated by white trellises, bluestone tiles, and wood accents, was highly reminiscent of the classic beach and yacht clubs of the American New England region— a suitable but unexpected point of reference.
August is one of the hottest times of the year in the United Arab Emirates, so it wasn’t surprising to find the beach fairly empty. The aquamarine waters of the gulf beckoned, but the water was simply hot. The pool was much more refreshing. The Nation Riviera Beach Club is home to the Cabana Beach Bar & Grill, where we took a late lunch. At the beachfront, it serves an international menu and wide range of cocktails. The swim-up bar in the pool also offers refreshing libations. Guests relaxing on the beach are also able to press a remote button to receive service right from their perch.
Concluding the Stay at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi
My short stay at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi was a truly delightful one. From the highly curated and unexpectedly lived-in nature of the suite to the genuinely helpful butler service, my impression of the St. Regis brand has shifted from one of being extremely exclusive and unwelcoming to my actual experience of witnessing hospitality and accommodation in the most classic way. It becomes clear that great service transcends any one region or culture. At the St. Regis Abu Dhabi, there is a beautiful alchemy at work.
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is located at Corniche, Nation Towers, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Learn more and make reservations at Marriott.
